Rheumatoid arthritis of the larynx: the importance of early diagnosis and corticosteroid therapy.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a destructive systemic disorder characterized by remissions and exacerbations. The larynx is involved in approximately 25% of these patients. The importance of early detection of laryngeal involvement by this disease and treatment with corticosteroids has not been adequately addressed in the literature. We have described five patients who had early diagnosis and successful treatment with systemic corticosteroids and/or corticosteroid injection of the cricoarytenoid joint.